CADDManager on March 17th, 2015
This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series Character and Skills

Continuing the thread of this series about what I think a CAD Manager should have as far as character and skills.  Here are the next few:

Organized – Keeps track of tasks and deadlines. Knows how to prioritize. Is aware of others priorities and how they impact their own.  Uses tools and methods that help themselves stay organized and lets others know that structures are in place. Generates structure where none exists.

Planner – Investigates, develops options, selects best option, breaks down large processes into smaller steps, and verifies/shares plans with others. Ability to prioritize efforts as projects move along. Knows what needs to be worked on next. Seeks to help others plan their work. Shares plans with others.

Quality Driven – Takes pride in work product. Works beyond “good enough”. Tests and verifies solutions. Strives for best outcome. Stays with a task or problem until the end user is satisfied. Avoids “do overs”.  Does not have an attitude of “I can just fix it/finish it later”.

Documentation – Documents and shares processes, procedures, access, controls.  Understands that everything that is done in a shared environment of support needs to be documented and stored in a shared location, secured as needed. Creates documentation that non support staff can also use as applicable.

Reporting – Notifies stakeholders of progress, problems and completion.  Keeps stakeholders informed as the project progresses.  Notifies all about delays and road blocks.  Understands that a job is not done until all stakeholders know that it is completed.  Knows that fixes must be reported so others can then move forward on cascading efforts that were held up.

Still more to come…

Series Navigation<< The Character and Skills of a CAD Manager – Part 1The Character and Skills of a CAD Manager – Part 3 >>

One Response to “The Character and Skills of a CAD Manager – Part 2”

  1. Mark,
    What’s the point of having the professional drafters/designers come to work in dress-casual clothing? For guys, Khakis and some sort of button up shirt that gets tucked in. There was a department of Civil/Mapping GIS folks whose boss didn’t care how they dressed as long as it wasn’t shorts of something inappropriate. As a CAD admin, they had the least amount of support requests from me and my team (CAD Admins) yet they were the most productive and innovative.
    It reminded me of a couple of books “Innovate the PIXAR way” and “Creativity Inc.”
    Both of which deal with how PIXAR in its relaxed environment produced and continues to produce high quality products.

    I look at the various companies – the small design firms try to emulate the large firms and expect them to be creative yet also have no individualism to express.
    I think that our design realm of engineering and designing buildings and power plants has become stagnant and institutionalized. And it is quite depressing to be honest.
    The excitement seems to be coming from the young folks that are given freedom to create and 3D print some cool things and be innovative. And Carl Bass has a lot of freedom to do what he wants from his shop and let others come in to enjoy it. But I’d like to see what he dresses like and how he interacts with people in one of the Autodesk office. Compare him with John Lasseter.
    People want to be inspired and work as a team. not have some stiff-necked CAD Manager come by and give them a list of stuff to do

    Thanks
    ~Greg

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